Presser-foot lubricating means



Mal 'ch 3, 1953 E. E. CHAMPLIN PRESSER-FOOT LUBRICATING MEANS Filed March 51, 1950 Fig.1.

"um Z4 #10 C i@ x Inventor: Everefl'kam Z1321 His-Attorneys Patented Mar. 3, 1953 PRESSER-EFOOT LUBRICATING MEANS Everett E. Champli-n, Hartford, 001111., assignor to The Mei-row Machine Company, Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationMarch 31, 1950, Serial No. 153,105

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to sewing machine presser feet and more particularly to means for supplying lubricant to the material comprising the work in the area that is engaged by the presser foot.

By those familiar with the sewing machine art, it is well understood that a film of lubricant dis tributed between the sole of a presser foot and the surface of material engaged thereby, serves a purpose that is much to be desired in the production of sewed articles wherein the material used is of a certain character, as for example, in cases where the surface of material engaged by the presser foot for passage thereunder, is of the nature of rubber or such that it tends to adhere to the sole of the presser foot. This grip of such material on the presser foot is particularly detrimental when the work comprises two or more plies, with the surface of the upper ply adherent, because under these conditions, upper and lower plies are not equally advanced by the feeding means, with the result that formation of the seam produced is imperfect. Such means as have been heretofore devised for presser foot lubrication of the nature indicated, have, so far as I am aware, not been of sufficiently limited size or extent as to avoid interference with convenient operation of the machine to which aplied.

p The primary object therefore of the present invention, is to effect lubrication of a presser foot sole by means applied to the foot that are entirely free of encumbering or projecting parts likely to impose inconvenience upon an operator. More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide such unencumbered means in which the delivery of the lubricant is effected by movement of the presser foot during operation of the feeding mechanism to advancethe work.

In accomplishing these objects one feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of a resilient blade to be moved toward and from the presser foot sole to thereby deliver; lubricant to the surface of the work as it is advanced beneath the presser foot. In accordance with another feature of the invention, sponge like material is arranged between the sole of the presser foot and the blade to. receive lubricant and discharge a small quantity onto the flexible blade as the blade moves and compresses the sponge like material.

With these ends in view the invention consists of the simple and compact arrangement of parts set forth in detail in the following description, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

. In the drawings,

Figure l is a side view of a presser foot mechanism including a presser foot and clip or shoe therefor in an arrangement embodying a preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a topv view of a presser foot toe portion and a clip in engagement therewith as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of parts shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a presser foot clip.

The several sewing machine parts illustrated in Fig. 1 in assembled relation with my improved presser foot are characteristic of overseaining machines of the Morrow type, it is, however, tobe understood that my invention is of a nature to render it equally useful in sewing. machines of various types.

Referring to Fig. l certain of the parts shown therein may be described briefly as follows: Machine frame 1 supports a head 2, bored to receive the spring actuated presser bar 3 which is engageable with presser arm 4, thelatter being pivotally associated with a, rocker 5, movable about a fulcrum element 6, the axis of which lies in a plane substantially coincident with the work engaging surface of work plate I. A presser' foot 8-, opposed to work plate i, is pivotally mounted on a laterally extended stud 9 at the free end of presser arm 4, and cooperates in the usual mannor with feed dog it to advance material W comprising the work (see Fig. 4).

Means associated with presser foot 8 and comprising the present invention will now be described. Applied to the usual up-turned toe 8 of foot 8 is a clip it having an upper branch I2 and a lower branch 13. Serving to hold clip H in place on the foot is a screw l4 passed through a hole 12 in upper branch [2 and threaded into the toe. Between the upper and lower branches of clip I i, toe 8 is provided with a hole I5 forming a depression in the top surface and a recess in the sole of the presser foot,

the central portion ofhole liproviding a duct through the presser foot connecting the recess and depression. Filling the hole 15 is a plug 13- of yieldable porous material suitable for absorbing and applying lubricantas with a sponge,

Above this plug or sponge l6, branch- I2 of clip II, is shaped to form a cup ii to suitably receive a fluid lubricant, said cup being provided with an orifice H to direct lubricant from the cup onto that portion of sponge l6 which projects above the depression in the upper surface of the presser foot. Below sponge I6 and preferably in contact therewith extends lower branch or blade l3 of clip ii. This resilient blade i3 normally extends slightly below the sole of foot 8 (see Fig. 3) but is arranged to be yieldably movable toward and from the sponge and the under side of the foot as the latter is alternately lowered and raised under influence of feed dog l in its operative movements effecting advance of the work W. Thus when the free end of blade I3 is moved toward the sole of foot 8, the sponge projecting from the recess in the sole is engaged and compressed by the blade, so lubricant passes from the sponge onto the upper surface of blade 13 and thence onto the surface of the work directly in front of the presser foot sole.

As will presently be explained more fully, it is desirable also that lubricant be conveyed onto the surface of the work from the under side of blade l3 and this is accomplished by providing a suitable number of perforations as l3 in blade 53 directly under sponge it. This delivery of lubricant from the under side of blade 53 is especially desirable when work being stitched presents alternately to the sole of the presser foot, surfaces of work of different character, such as an absorbent surface, as of cloth, and an adherent surface, such as rubber. If lubricant is delivered only from the top surface of blade 93, a cloth surface passing thereunder, absorbs the lubricant to such an extent that there is insufilcient lubricant immediately available to properly lubricate, upon initial contact therewith, a subsequently encountered stretch of work presenting an adherent surface.

Preferably,'as shown, the hole or recess l for reception of sponge It is elongated crosswise of the presser foot to insure lubrication of the latter'throughout its width. Correspondingly blade i3 is of suitable width and is preferably made of thin resilient material as shown, to provide for its flexing movement toward and from the sole of the presser foot. Throughout such movement of the blade it, it is in contact with the yieldable sponge I3 and as the sponge is compressed a suitable amount of its supply of lubricant is conveyed to both the top and under side of blade !3, and then when released, the sponge expands and absorbs, from cup 52 thereabove,

a suitable amount of lubricant for subsequent delivery to blade l3 as it again compresses the sponge. In this way, lubricant is delivered to the blade in accordance with feeding movements of the material beneath the blade.

A suitable supply of lubricant for continued application to a presser foot in the manner indicated may be contained in a reservoir as 29 which is supported on an adjustable bracket 2| secured to a standard 22 rising from machine frame 8. A tube '23 extends from the reservoir 26 to just above cup i! and to regulate the amount of lubricant delivered through the tube to the cup, the usual flow control means 24 is provided at the top of the reservoir.

What is claimed is: e

1. In a. sewing machine having a presser foot, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip secured to the presser foot and having a resilient 4 portion thereof spaced beneath and movable toward and from the sole of the presser foot toe, and means actuated by movement of said resilient portion for conducting lubricant into the space between said clip and sole.

2. In a sewing machine having a presser foot formed with a lubricant receiving duct in its sole adjacent the toe end thereof, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip secured to the foot, said clip having a resilient blade portion movable toward and from the duct, and means operated by movement of said blade for conducting lubricant from the duct onto the blade.

3. In a sewing machine having a presser foot formed with a duct in its sole adjacent the toe end thereof, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip supported by the foot, said clip having a resilient blade underlying the duct and spaced below the sole, sponge-like material retained within the duct and extending beneath the sole into contact with said blade, and means forming a part of said clip for conducting lubricant to said material.

4. In a sewing machine having a presser foot formed with a duct in its sole at the toe end thereof, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip secured to the foot in advance of the duct, said clip having a resilient blade underlying the duct and spaced below the sole, and sponge like material retained within the duct and extending beneath the sole into contact with the blade.

5. In a sewing machine having a presser foot formed with a duct extending through its toe portion, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip secured to the foot in advance of said duct, said clip being formed with a resilient blade extending beneath the duct and spaced below said presser foot, and sponge-like material retained in a position engaging the blade and the foot at thelower outlet of the duct.

6. In a sewing machin including a presser foot having an upturned toe formed with a hole extending therethrough, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip on the toe of the foot, said clip having upper and lower branches respectively disposed above and below the toe in opposed relation to each other, said upper branch comprising a cup and having an orifice in the bottom of the cup, said lower branch comprising a resilient blade underlying said hole and spaced below the sole of the toe, and a plugof spongelike material extending from the orifice of the cup to the blade through said hole.

'7. In a sewing machine including a presser foot having an up-turned toe formed with a hole extending therethrough, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip on the toe of the foot, said clip having upper and lower branches respectively disposed above and below the toe in opposed relation to each other, said upper branch comprising a cup and having an orifice in the bottom of the cup, said lower branch comprising a perforated resilient blade movable toward and from said hole and the sole of the toe, and a plug of sponge-like material extended from the orifice of the cup to the blade through said hole.

8. In a sewing machine including a presser foot having an Lip-turned toe formed with a hole extending therethrough, presser foot lubricating means comprising a clip on the toe of the foot,

said clip having upper'and lower branches respectively disposed above'and below the toe in opposed relation to each other, said upper branch comprising a cup and having an orifice in the 5 bottom of the cup, said lower branch comprising UNITED STATES PATENTS a perforated resilient blade movable toward and Number Name Date from Said hole nd the sole of the toe, a plug of 853,874 Hadsen May 14 1907 p e-l e material extended from the orifice of 937 045 Black Oct 1909 the cup to the blade through said hole, and means 5 1 145989 Harrison July 1915 for conducting lubricant into the cup. 1 1- Baynard Mar 1920 EVERETT CHAMPLIN- 2,316,647 Giglio Apr. 13, 1943 REFERENCES CITED ,442,222 Uccelhm May 25, 1948 The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: 

